Ratchet mechanism



Ma'y 12, 1925. 1,537,717

C. F. M. VAN BERKEL RATCHET MECHANISM Filed March .8, 1913 Patented May12, 1925.

narran ortica. l,

CGRNELIS M. VAN BERKEL, OF ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS, ASSIGNOR 'IO U. S.

SLICING MACHINE COMIPANY, F LAI'ORTE. INDIANA.,l Av CORPORATION" OF IN-fDIANA..

RATCHET MECHANISM.

Application filed March 8, 1919.` Serial No.` 281,338.` Y

provision of mechanism of the character named which shall he of improvedconstruction and operation. i 15 The invention is exemplified in thecombination and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying drawingand described in the following specification. and it is moreparticularly pointed out in 4the appended claims. p

In the drawingy Fig. 1 is a fragmentary elevation "partly in section ofone embodimentof the present' invention. y

Fig. 2 isa view looking from the right in Fig. 1. y

Fig. '3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, lout showing a slightly `modifiedform of the invention. j

Fig. 4 is asection on line 4:-4.- of Fig. 8; and

5 is a sectional detail of still another modification.

In slicing machines, and other mechanism, it is common to impart aslight periodic rotary movement to parts of the machine hy means of lapawl and ratchet device, and it is frequently desirable to re-set thepart of the machine so rotated. The present invention provides mechanismfor accomplishing this purpose. yThe form illustrated shows theconstruction as applied to a slicing machine of ordinary design in whichthe nu.- meral designates a meat carriage, which is usually mounted toslide on a fixed support represented fragmentarily at 11. The meat table10 loy its reciprocationpresents the material which it carries to aslicing knife each time a slice is to he severed, and the table isprovided with a slicing meat plate which is fed across the table 10 atlright angles to the direction of reciprocation of the table by means ofa feed screw 12.

The feed screw 12 is journaled for rotation in a downwardly extendingflangell of the meat table, and has a lever arm 14C loosely mounted onthe nroiectingfportion 15 Iof the feed screw. Carried loy the portion 15of the feed screw, just outside-of` the hearing of the lever arm 14, isa ratch'etwheel 16, which is engaged hv a pawl 17 pivotally mounted atl18 yon the lever arm -1-1. f The pawl 17 may he held in engagement withthe teeth of thepratchet wheel 16 either hy gravity, or by means of alspring inthe usual manner. Ardyacent the outer face of the ratchet wheel16 is a lcrank disc 19, which is rigid-ly secured to the end of thescrew12 loyk a key 20. The crank disc 19 carries near its periphery a raisedlooss 21, which is bored to form an opening 22, through which a pin` v23extends. The pin 23 is provided with a flangel 24, against which one endof a coil spring 25 hears. The other end of the coil spring 25 hearsagainst the end wall 'of the opening 22, so that the end of the pin 23is normally projected through the open end of the recess 22 intoengagement with. the face of the ratchet wheel 16. A handle 26 isvrigidly secured to the end ofthe pin 23 opposite the ratchet so that theend lofthe handle hearsagainst the face of the boss 21 and limits themovement of the pin 23 under the influence of the coil spring 25. Anopening 27 is provided in the face of the ratchet 16 forreceiving theend of the pin 23 to cause the ratchet 16 and the disc 19 to rotateinunison with one another. In this way' the screw 12 may. he made rigidwith the ratchet 16, so that the screw may loe rotated loy the pawlwhich engages the teeth of the ratchet. The support 11 for the table 10carries a pin 28 disposed in the path of movement of a downwardlyprojecting arm 29 of the lever 141. W'hen the table 10 approaches thelimit of its reciprocation, the i arm 29 strikes the stop 28, thusrotating the lever 14 and causingthe pawl 17 toimv i part a slightrotationl to the ratchet 16. Since the ratchet is normally connectedwith the feed screw 12 through the disc 19 and.

the pin 23,' this rotation of the ratchet will screw into position for a`second slice. If at pawl in this any time it is desirable to adjust thefeed screw 12 independently of the ratchet 16, it is only necessary forthe operator to grasp the handle 26 and draw it outwardly a sum-v cientdistance to free the end of the pin 23 from the opening 27. While thehandle 26 is held in this position, the disc may be rotated in eitherdirection independently of` the ratchet 16, and thus the screw 12 may beturned to effect any adjustment of the parts controlled thereby whichmay be desired.

In the for-m of the invention shown in Figs. 3 and 4, the ratchet wheel16 is secured directly to the feed screw 12 by means of a key 30, andthe disc 19 ofthe form previously described, is entirely omitted. Ahandle 31 is rigidly mounted directly on the faceof the ratchet wheel16. The pawl 17 is carried by the lever arm 14 in position to mesh withthe ratchet wheel 16 in the same way as inthe previouslydescribed form,but the pawl is provided, as shown more clearly in Fig. 4, with aspring-pressed pin 32, the pointed end 33 of which is arrangedfto engagea V-shaped projection 34 extending from the face of the lever 14. 1Nhcnthe pawl 17 is in the position shown in full lines Vin Figs. 3 and 4,the pin 32 will hold the v i position out oflengagement with the teethof the ratchet. lVhen the pawl is pressed downwardly, the spring-pressedpin 32 will move over the apex of the projection 34 and Lspring intoengagement with the inclined face ofthe projection on the side adfvjacent the ratchet wheelv 16. The parts are `so related that the point33 ofthe pin 32 will engage the lower face of the projection 34 duringthe upward movement of the pawl while passing over the points of theratchet teeth.k It will be seen that this engagement between `theinclined face ofthe projection 34 and the point of the pin 32 will tendto press the pawl into engagement with the ratchet teeth, and the motionof the pawl is not suiiicient to carry the point of the pin past theapex of the projection at the time thatthe nose ofthe pawl vpasses overthe point of a ratchet tooth. Inthis way the spring-pressed pin 32cooperating with thejprojection 34 performs a double purpose of holdingthe pawln resiliently vin engagement with the ratchet teeth, and also ofholding'the pawl out of engagement with the teeth when it has once beenmoved into its I. disengaged position. So long as the pawl remains inengagement with the teeth, reciproc'ation-of t-he lever 14 will serve torotatethe ratchet wheel, and this rotation will be imparted to the feedscrew.- When it is desired to adjust the screw independently of, theratchet mechanism, the pawl 17 is lifted out of engagement with theratchet teeth and automatically remains in this position until it isreturned. llfhile it is thus held, the ratchet 16 and the feed screw 12may be rotated any desired amount in either direction by means of thehandle 31.

1n the form shown in F 5, a springpressed pin 35 is provided with aknob, by means of which it may be withdrawn from engagement with anopening 37 in the lever 14. The pin is normally held in engagement withthe opening by a spring' 38, and it may be retained in its retractedposition by a tooth 39 arranged to pass through a notch 40 in a flange41 secured to the pin 35, and against which the vend of the spring 38bears. When the lrnob 36 is pulled backwardly until the flange 41engages the tooth 39, the knob maybe rotated to bring the notch 40 intoregistry'with the tooth, after which the pin may be further withdrawnuntil the flange 41 has passed behind the tooth. A slight rotation ofthe knob 36 while in this position will bring the notch 40 and tooth 39out of registry. and thus retain the pin in its retracted position. Inoperation the. pin 35 is thus locked out of engagement with the lever14- during the time that the ratchet wheel 16 is being driven by thepawl 17 and the lever. This will permit the pawl 17 to bear upon theperiphery of the ratchet wheel 16 under the influence .of `gravity, orof a spring provided for the purpose, as the case may be. When it isdesired to adjust the mechanism controlled by the screw 12, the pawl 17may be raised out of engagement with the ratchet teeth and the pin35releasedto engage the opening 37, and thus loclr the pawl in itsinoperative position. While g the pawl is thus held, the ratchet wheel16 may be rotated by rthe handle 31 `to adjust the feed screw.

vI claim:-

1. In combination, a feed screw, a ratchet wheel loosely mounted on saidscrew, a ,pawl for rotating said ratchet wheel, a hand crank rigidlyconnected `with said feed screw, said ratchet wheel being connectiblewith said feed screw to impart rotation to said yfeed screw, ya handlefor rotating said hand crank, and means operable by said handle formaking and breaking the connection between said ratchet mechanism andsaid feed screw. Y

,2. The combination with a rotary element, of a ratchet wheel revolublvmounted on said element, a hand-operated device fixed to said elementfor rotating the same, Ameans for rotating said ratchet wheel,andspring-actuated means on said hand-operated device for connectingsaid ratchet wheel and handoperated device to rotate said element fromsaid ratchet wheel.

3. In combination, a revoluble element, a ratchet wheel rotatablymounted on said element, an oscillatory pawl for imparting perlodicmovement`to said ratchet Wheel, a crank for withdrawing said pin fromsaid hand crank fixed to said element for rotating ratchet lWheel andfor rotating said hand the same, a spring-pressed pin on said handCrank. 10 crank arrungad "w engage said ratchet wheel f In testlmonywhereof I 113W@ Slgned 7 my to drive said element from said ratchetWheel name t0 thls SPeClCtOn, 0n this 21st day 0 through said handCrank, and a' common December: L D- 1918 handle connected with said pinand hand C, F, M, v, BERKEL,

